A Very Whitechapel Winter
by Takarifan101
Summary: With the holiday season about to begin Ethan's determined to enjoy his final winter together with both friends and family before heading off to college. When a mysterious book appears, and dark secret surfaces that may very well change the course of Christmas forever, Ethan is forced to confront a truth and enemy he never thought possible. Ethan/Sarah Benny/Erica
1. Carol of the Bells

With the holiday season about to begin, and his supernatural days seemingly over Ethan's determined to enjoy his final winter together with friends and family before off to college. But when a dark secret surface that may very well change the course of Christmas forever, Ethan is forced to face both the mistakes of the past and an a set of enemies he never thought possible.

A/N: Exactly one year ago I began writing for the MBSAV section of Fanfiction, and I started with a story called A Very Whitechapel Christmas. It's been a very long year, and I thought what better way to end my little career here than with another Christmas story? I'll get around to finishing them, but as of now, this story will definitely be my last.

This story follows the events of A Very Whitechapel Christmas. Do you have to read the first one to understand this one? No. Will this is be as good as the first one? No, I'm hoping beyond all hope that it will be better. So for now I leave you with the story and I hope (beyond all hope) you enjoy it! And feedback as usual is more than welcome.

I don't own Carol of the Bells or the MBSAV series.

* * *

A Very Whitechapel Winter

By Takarifan101

Chapter One: The Carol of the Bells

"_I can't believe it's come to this," said the man as he finally turned to face the person opposite him. For a moment neither of them said a single word as the snow continued to fall causing the other to flicker in and out of sight. They simply stared, unsure of what to do, and unsure of what came next. He slowly raised a hand and whispered: "But you leave me no choice."_

_The wind, and the snow bent to his will and rapidly surrounded the figure before rising high into the gray sky above. The funnel of snow created a loud howl, and as it continued to turn around it's captive the man took a step back in awe of its power. __There was a flash of bright light as the cyclone collapsed into self and the regular snowfall resumed. The man walked towards the ledge and with a sadden look bent down. Lying on the icy ground was a single leather bound book, it's cover adorned with a black mistletoe flower. At the top, the title glistened in dark red letters:_

'_**The Claustrum'**_

* * *

"Were-Turkeys," whispered Ethan aloud as he threw himself against the Council door. To think not even two hours ago he had been seated in his living room surrounded by friends and family about to make a toast in celebration of the meal, when apparently the meal had other plans. Erica, Sarah and Rory joined him against the door when someone, or rather something collided with the other side. "Of all the things to happen on Thanksgiving it had to be were-turkeys didn't it?"

"To be honest," said Sarah with look of disbelief as the door began to splinter. "I didn't turkeys were one of the things people could transform into."

"Not to mention it being the first Thanksgiving to land on a full moon in years," said Benny as he casually flipped through the pages of his spell book while pacing around the room. "Found the counter spell… I think."

"For some reason," mumbled Rory as a piece of the door exploded open and one of the creatures leaned through, its beak dripping with salvia. "I can't help but feel as though this is partly my fault."

"That's because it is," hissed Erica as she took a step back and brought up her leg. She drove her heel into the raptor's face and when it reeled back in pain she turned to the blonde with her fangs bared, and an annoyed glare. "You just had to mess around with Benny's spell book didn't you?"

"First of all it wasn't me it was Jane and second-"

"Arguing isn't going to help," yelled Ethan as another part of the door gave way and several more beaks attempted to squeeze through. He turned to his friend. "How's that counter spell coming?"

"Almost there," said Benny dismissively as he continued rifle through his book. "Would a were-turkey be considered a werewolf or a sub species of a bird curse?"

"BENNY!" screamed everyone in unison as the hinges began to bend. "JUST DO THE SPELL!"

"Ok! Ok!" Ethan watched as the Spellmaster ran over to the Caller and placed a single hand on the device. He felt the wooden door give way and above the screams, shouts and roars he heard the spell echo throughout the chamber with a loud bang.

_"Maledictionem, et non subsistam."_

He felt the strange rush of air as the white energy surged forward passing through him. As it did the monstrous cries gradually became more human until a strange but calming silence fell over the room. Ethan struggled to sit up and despite the bruises along his body smiled when he caught sight of the various vampires looking at one another in confusion. There was nothing quite as satisfying as a victory over the supernatural.

"We did it!" cried Rory as he jumped up with a look of delight and did a small dance. "We saved the city from-"

"Don't mention it," said Erica as she strode by. The blonde boy lifted a hand to protest only to stop when she glared at him with her fangs shining in the bright florescent lights. "I said: don't-mention- it."

"What's her problem?" asked Rory as he crossed his arms and looked down with frown. "We just saved the city, and the entire Vampire Community! So why is she in such a bad mood?"

"This was my only set of dress clothes," moaned Benny as he picked at the tatter remains of his vest off the floor. "And you know how Erica gets around the holidays, it's the one time of year she get's to 'act normal' around her family. I better go after her, I'll see you guys back at the house ok?"

Ethan gave a small wave before letting out a sigh and running a hand through his hair. He absently pushed the loose strands from his eyes and gave Sarah a weary grin before taking her hand in his.

"Quick thinking with the gravy earlier."

"I try," said the brunette with a grin as she gave his hand a squeeze. "Come on let's go try and salvage what's left of Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe if we're lucky then some of the dessert survived."

They carefully strode through the debris, avoiding everything from broken glass to the splintered remains of chairs. Ethan caught sight of Rory and motioned for Sarah to go on ahead. He walked over to his friend and took a seat on the desk next to him. Instinctively he put a hand on the boy's shoulder and asked:

"What's the matter?"

"I really messed up huh?" asked Rory as turned to him with a faraway look in his eyes. He absently kicked aside a thick book and jumped to his feet. "I was only looking for a spell to make sure everything would come out perfect for dinner and then the next thing I knew the turkeys were coming to life, attacking everyone and then transforming them. I didn't mean to ruin everything, I only wanted to make it better."

"I wanted to ask you about that," said Ethan as he watched the blonde pace back and forth. "Why were you looking for a spell?"

"You and Sarah have been dating for almost a year, Benny and Erica have been together for six months, we're all in community college, you have that really awesome motorcycle, and you just got that acceptance letter to that really cool school in Greece. This is our final year together in Whitechapel… and I just wanted to make sure if it was, then it was going to be one of the best ones yet."

"Maybe magic wasn't the best way of going about it. We've always been close and when you use magic to make memories it just seems like a cheap short cut. The best memories are the ones you make without even thinking about it."

"I guess. I just don't want our friendship to end when we end up going in different ways."

"It won't. Just because we won't see each other every day, or spend as much time as we do now doesn't mean we won't be friends. Come on cheer up," said Ethan as he stood up and put an arm around Rory's shoulder. "We still have Christmas and New Years to look forward too, we're not heading our separate ways just yet."

"I guess you're right," said Rory with a smile. "If this is going to be our last holiday together then I have to make it one of the best ones yet, and I'm definitely not going to try and use magic again."

"That's the spirit dude, come on we have a dinner at my house to try and finish."

Rory nodded and suddenly stopped his eyes focused on something in the distance. "I have some things to take care of first, but I'll be there though, promise!"

"We'll see you there," said Ethan as he headed for the exit. The last place he wanted to be was in the Council Room when the Vampire Council found out what had transpired. Once outside he stopped for a moment and crossed his arms as he admired the sight above him.

The full moon shining bright in the dark blue sky, the wind as it brushed against his skin serving as a reminder that winter was just around the corner, and the few and finals bits of leaves that clung to the branches far above. This was his city, but more than that this was his home.

He absently picked up the helmet off his motorcycle and slipped it on. As he mounted the bike, and started the engine he smiled. Things may be changing fast, but the beauty and wonder of Whitechapel would never cease to amaze him.

* * *

"What are you doing?" asked Benny with a yawn as he looked up lazily from Ethan's bed. He watched as his friend scribbled something down in a small journal. "What's that?"

"I've been keeping track of the supernatural incidents since we discovered our powers," said Ethan as he held up the small book. "I've noticed a pattern. Before the Lucifractor exploded last year there was a huge amount of incidents, mostly random, and now after it the activity basically dropped off the charts. The were-turkeys were the first thing to happen in almost three weeks, and that was our fault."

"So what are you saying E?"

"I think the two events, the supernatural cases, and Lucifractor are linked in some way."

"Now that you mention it, that kind of makes sense," mumbled Benny as he suddenly sat up. "Before the explosion the magic in Whitechapel felt sort of unstable, and I would be making all kinds of mistakes when casting spells. But now I haven't made a single one in months, it's almost like the blast stabilized it."

"You know what this means?" asked Ethan as he turned the computer chair to face Benny. When the brunette shrugged, he gave him a halfhearted smile and closed the journal. "Our supernatural days may finally be behind us."

They shared an uncertain look and then towards the window. Outside the city seemed to glow as a light snowfall began.

* * *

_Sweet silver bells, all seem to say: 'throw cares away'._

Ethan listened to the music as he walked down street doing his best to cut through the large mass of people. It wasn't unusual for Whitechapel's Main Street to be this busy during the first days of the December, and this year it appeared to be no different. Some people stopped by stores to admire the decorations in the window, others cut across the street to meet up with friends, and some seemed to just enjoy the bright lights and snow as it gently came down.

"Look mommy," cried a little girl as walked by hand in hand with her mother. "Look at all the Santa decorations!"

Ethan stopped. He turned and for the first time noticed in actuality the amount of Santa decorations that adorned the walkway. They were in the shop windows, on cars, on balloons, heck there was a even a Santa statue with reindeer hanging over the street itself.

_That is their song, with joyful ring, all caroling; one seems to hear words of good cheer._

He suddenly felt oddly suffocated in the crowds. The singing carolers seemed too loud, the wind too strong, and the snow too cold. He passed by people who had their heads down, others who were too preoccupied with their phones, and was almost knocked off his feet by a woman as she pushed past him and into the nearest store.

"It's sad isn't it?" Ethan turned around looking for the person who spoke and stopped when he spied a boy his age with bright white hair standing off to the side looking up at the statue of Santa. "The way people don't even acknowledge each other, and during a time when everyone is to be together."

_On, on they send, on without end. Their joyful tone to every home._

A group of people walked by and Ethan lost the person in the crowd as he was forced further down the street. Feeling annoyed, and rather disgusted with people he made his way back to his motorcycle. Finding the perfect gifts for his friends and family could wait, right now it was too busy to get anything done. As he drove down the street he heard the bells of City Hall ring loudly.

_Sweet silver bells, all seem to say: 'throw cares away'. Christmas is here, bringing good cheer to young and old, meek, and the bold._

* * *

_The shadowy world expanded for beyond Ethan's sight, and as he ran after the strange figure he felt little of everything around him. Down the street, through the park, and finally towards the old underground library. He moved through the broken maze until he came to a large room, and stared up at the gigantic dome like ceiling._

_In all the times he had and his friends had wandered down here he had never once seen this particular room. Time had worn away the initial covering but here in the dim light supplied by unknown sources he could see the metal structure that held the earth at bay. In the strange glow he watched as dust came down and wandered towards the center. Thousands upon thousands of books lay scattered across the ground; some were worn by time, while others looked almost new._

_In the middle stood the shadowy figure, and behind a strange book rested upon a marble pedestal. Ethan slowly approached it and watched as the shadow stepped aside. He could sense a strange energy emerge from the leather bound pages, and the closer he got the more powerful it became. By now he was no longer in control of his body, he wanted the book, no he needed it._

_He picked it up and as he did the title appeared across the top._

* * *

Ethan woke with a start and up in bed sweaty and panting. He looked down at his hands and as he did jumped back with a start. He was holding the book from his dreams. He quickly tossed it to the side and made a grab for his cellphone. Depsite the late hour he sent a text to his friends.

_**Everyone come to my house tomorrow night, something's up. - E**_

He turned back to the book and watched, as the title seemed to glow in the soft evening light. He wearily picked it up and turned it over in his hands. Ethan took a seat at his computer and entered the title before clicking the search button.

_Claustrum (noun)-_

_1) a bar, band, bolt_

_2) Gate, door, bulwark_

The last one made his blood go cold.

_3) Enclourse; a prison._

* * *

"So what do we do with it?" asked Rory as he poked the book before looking up at his friends. "Should we open it?"

"If what Ethan said is true," said Erica as she crossed her legs and leaned back in the chair. "Then that things a prison, and last thing anybody wants to do is open it."

"Grandma doesn't anything about a Claustrum," said Benny as he held up his own spell book. "And I went searching through all of our old spell books last night I didn't find anything either."

"Whatever it is," said Ethan as he sat crossed legged with his back to the warm heat of the fireplace. "It can't be good. It came from my dream into the real world, how many times has something like that even happen?"

"Maybe Rory is on to something," said Sarah as she picked up the book and touched the mistletoe on the cover. "Don't get me wrong we should be careful, but that might be the only way to figure out what's going with it. It almost feels like it's alive."

"Now that you mention it," said Benny as he grabbed it and then held up his spell book in the other hand. "It feels almost the exactly the same as mine, yup there's definitely magic involved in this."

"Don't open it," said Erica suddenly as she looked at her friends. "What if it unleashes some curse on our city? I don't want Christmas to be ruined because we did something stupid."

"I say open it," mumbled Rory with a grin. "Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith."

"Don't," said Benny as he handed it back to Ethan. "Nothing good ever comes from messing with magically infused items."

"I'm with Rory on this one," whispered Sarah as she looked at him. "If it came to you then it has to be for a reason right? You said it yourself, it was calling out to you. I say open it."

"Than it all comes down to what I decide on," said Ethan as he placed the Claustrum on the ground in the center of them. "No pressure right?"

He placed a hand on the cover and watched as the flower seemed to react to his touch. Sarah was right, the book had come to him, which meant there had to be a reason he was supposed to get it. But if what the definition was right? What if something was being contained within, something that wasn't meant to get out. His hand wavered for a moment and then he thought of the crowds he had seen on Main Street, the lack of interest in others, and gently slid a finger under the cover.

He flipped it open.

The fire behind him went out and as it did the power to the house suddenly shut off. All at once the windows exploded as a strange energy circled around the book. Ethan looked up at his friends and before he could reach out for them a man appeared in front of him with a bright red coat. He caught sight of the man's face before he felt himself pulled away from the scene. The next thing he knew he was resting on a cold wooden floor. He looked up and felt his heart skip a beat.

"N-no way," whispered Ethan as he got to his feet and took in the sight around him. "This isn't possible."

Standing in front of him was a young man with bright white hair, and a bright red coat resting across his shoulders. It took him a moment to register who it was and then in a soft voice whispered:

"S-Santa Claus?"

"Nicholas Claus," said the man as he extended his hand. "And I'm afraid you've set a very dangerous chain of events in motion."

* * *

A/N: Next update will be in a few days! Again reviews are more than welcome.


	2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

A/N: Another chapter ready and rarin to go. I hope you all enjoy this little spin on the legend of Santa Claus. Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review, I would greatly appreciate it!

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A Very Whitechapel Winter

By Takarifan101

Chapter Two: Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Even with the orange goggles securely pressed against his eyes Ethan couldn't help but squint as the sleigh rushed through the rapidly falling snow. He shivered, and tightened both his coat and scarf against the cold. He had never imagined, even in his wildest dreams, sitting alongside Santa Claus as they flew high above the cities in his bright red and white sleigh. The stars blurred as Nicholas gave the reigns a sharp tug and the reindeers let out a cry in response.

Ethan let out a sigh, as much as he wanted to enjoy the sight and feeling around him he couldn't. This wasn't the way he wanted to spend his December. He wanted to be at home with his friends and family. He thought of making s'mores with Benny, sitting by the fireplace with his arms around Sarah, riding his motorcycle through the frost covered streets of Whitechapel while searching for the perfect gifts. He thought of having Christmas dinner one last time with his family before finally heading off to college, and that strange finality that had fallen over him. The illusion broke when Nicholas began to speak.

"We're nearing Whitechapel, do you remember everything I told you?"

* * *

"_Your real," whispered Ethan as he rubbed his eyes and gently shook the extended hand. A strange child like energy ran through him and he quickly looked the figure up and down. Red coat, white hair, younger and thinner than he imagined, but there could be no mistaking it. "Santa... Claus."_

"_Please just Nicholas," said man as he took a step back and then motioned to the large door on the other side of the strange room. "I'm afraid we're going to have to skip the tour, we have far more pressing matters to deal with. If you would please follow me."_

_Ethan nodded and followed after the figure passing by several orbs posited high on pedestals. He took a moment to examine one before the man in the red coat threw open the large wooden doors. Nicholas took a step to the side, held out a hand and in a merry voice declared: "Welcome to the North Pole."_

_The brunette stopped when the bright light poured into the room and quickly ran forward. He rested his hands on the bright golden rail and let out an excited laugh as he took in the sight. Far below glowing golden in the rising sun, was a large village coated in a fresh coat of snow. He watched as gears turned, as the monorail moved through the maze at an impossible speeds, and as people moved about oblivious to the magical world they lived in._

"_I knew you were real," whispered Ethan as he watched his breath rise into the air. "We saw you last year on Christmas Eve, but-I-you-this! It's incredible!"_

"_Christmas Eve?" whispered Nicholas as he brought up a hand and tapped his cheek. "Ah yes I remember now, the blonde boy that tried to bite me as I flew over Whitechapel. A... spirited lad to say the least." _

_He let out a hearty laugh and Ethan felt the strange energy from before fill the air. All at once it vanished when he recalled the events that had led to his sudden appearance in the North Pole. "You said something dangerous had been set in motion, what's happening?"_

"_My office is just a floor down, it be better if we talked there."_

_They carefully descended the steps before coming to another door. Nicholas pushed it open and Ethan once again felt his heat skip a beat. From the outside it appeared to be just another wall, but from within he could see a single window that stretched the entirety of the room giving a view of the snowy word beyond. In the center a large globe floated above the ground as several smaller ones orbited around each with the image of a different city displayed. A young woman with white hair, and a bright red dress stepped forward and let out a frustrated cry. She held up a clipboard and said:_

"_More than seventy percent of the elves have shut down, the power towards the farthest points of the city has just gone out, and due to your last trip the__ World Clock has just gone dark. At this rate we're going to lose the remaining magic we have left and we won't be able to accomplishing a single city, let alone the entire world."_

"_The elves aren't working?" asked Ethan before he could stop himself. She turned to him and he felt her cool blue eyes fall on his brown. It was as if she was passing some form of judgment. "Don't they know how important Christmas is to everyone?"_

_"Who is this?"_

_"Sorry, my name is Ethan Morgan."_

"_Kara," said the woman as she turned to look out the window. "Kara Claus, in addition to being his wife, I also manage the more technical things around here. The elves in the North Pole aren't real, it would be both cruel and wrong to make a single person work the entire year round. They're wooden puppets assigned to a child at birth. As the child grows older so does their belief, and the stronger it is the more power the elf has to create a perfect gift each year."_

"_Terrible things have been set in motion," said Nicholas as he went to his desk and tapped away at the keyboard. The images suddenly changed, the smaller orbs displayed Whitechapel while the giant globe pictured the book from before. He looked at his wife and then back at Ethan. "And I'm afraid it was partly my fault, I never imagined the Claustrum could be removed from its protective seal, let alone opened."_

"_The Claustrum?" mumbled Ethan. "You mean the book from my dream?"_

"_I'd best start from the beginning, I apologize in advance for the rushed explanation. The Claustrum is a prison of my own unique design. It was created to hold the most dangerous of spirits, ones that couldn't be stopped by the hands of mortals."_

* * *

"What happened?" mumbled Benny as he rubbed his head and slowly sat up. He was lying on the Morgan's cold living room floor, alone. All at once he recalled the man with the red coat, the flash of purple when Ethan vanished, and the strange energy the book had given off before suddenly exploding. The room should've been destroyed, had been destroyed, so why did everything look so perfect and… wrong? "Erica? Sarah? Rory?"

"We're out here," called Erica as she appeared at the front door with a fearful look on her face. "You need to see this, like right now."

Benny ran outside expecting the rush of cold air, the kiss of the snow, anything, and instead he found emptiness. It wasn't cold, it wasn't warm, it was… nothing. He turned to face the others and stopped when he caught sight of not only Ethan's parents but several of the neighbors as well, all looking up at the sky far above them.

Slowly Benny looked up and as he did he reached out for Erica's hand. Looking down from the stark white sky was a man with dark black hair, and an almost kind smile.

"_Attention citizens of Whitechapel_," began to the man as his calm voice echoed throughout the city. "_I used to be one of you, and a very long time ago I made a decision I was forced to live with to this very day. It is time I atone for my sins. You will be well protected here within the walls of this makeshift city."_

"Who are you?" Screamed a woman as she rocked her child back and forth. "Why are you doing this?"

"What have we ever done to you?" Yelled a man as he turned red. "Where are we?"

_"There isn't time for me to explain everything, so for now I ask you to rest and I ask you to put your faith in me."_

One by one people began to fall to the ground. Benny watched as the Morgan's collapsed, and then the woman across the street. He looked from his girlfriend and then to Sarah, for the moment they seemed fine.

"_Now I speak to those brave enough to fight against the ever rising supernatural tide_." There was a flash of white light and the man appeared in the street before them. He extended a hand and all three vampires bared their fangs in response. "_You four are going to help me kill Santa Claus_."

* * *

"_Spirits?" whispered Ethan as he thought about his adventures over the last few years. When he couldn't quite place the name to a supernatural creature he added: "You mean like ghosts?"_

"_Ghosts are the souls of people who've refused to move on. Spirits are the collective energy of the world fueled by belief and given shape. When something is believed in, when a story becomes a legend that single entity becomes a spirit. It can be a human, ghost, anything. Often times they are mischievous and playful but always benevolent, and never violent. The ones in that book, they are the ones who broke the rules, they are the original Heralds of Winter."_

"_Winter Heralds?" asked Ethan trying to keep pace with the man's tale. He was no stranger to being thrown into messes like this. "What did they do?"_

"_They originally were tasked with ushering in the winter, a__nd keeping the seasons balanced out__," said Kara as she turned to look at him her eyes once again passing judgement. "They were ones who helped create the modern Christmas, but as the years went by they were slowly forgotten, and as their power faded."_

"_So how did I end up with the book? I didn't even know it existed before last night."_

"_The book couldn't be put just anywhere," whispered Nicholas as he pointed to a snow globe on the far side of the room. It was in perfect likeness of the strange room from the underground library. "S__o I hid it in the most logical place- everywhere. The Claustrum contains the pure belief of winter, and when one wishes to recapture the true meaning of the season, it's supposed to allow the person to read a story from within. A story from the spirits before they turned, seeing your city so detached from the meaning of Christmas you must have summoned it to your dreams. To think a Seer would be able to interact with it, and cause it to materialize."_

"_That was you earlier?" asked Ethan as he recalled the boy who had called out to him, the one that had vanished into the crowd. "Wait, you hid a book in dreams?"_

"_I was a Spellmaster in a past life. I couldn't afford it falling into the wrong hands. It was never supposed to be opened in material world."_

"_The spirits inside the Claustrum, why are you both so afraid of them?" Nicholas and Kara gave him a strange look and Ethan sighed. "I can pick up on people's emotions because of my telepathy and right now your both giving off a lot of fear."_

"_There are five of them." The smaller orbs began to flicker. The first displayed a monstrous creature with horns, a large club, and a forked tongue. "Krampus the original Santa. He brought gifts to those who deserved it, and to the ones who misbehaved- fear."_

_A single shadowy figure covered in a fur coat. "Belsnickel, the one who kept check on the children of the world, it governed and created the rules of Christmas. It often sought out the ones who needed belief the most."_

_The orb behind them displayed the image of an old man with a wooden hammer. "The Toymaker, a Spellmaster who designed toys. His legacy spread far and wide, and gave him a life far beyond his natural one. A human given the powers of a spirit."_

_Now a man dressed entirely in white with a beard that fell far beyond the picture. "And Jack Frost, whose legend should precede him."_

"_You said five spirits," whispered Ethan as he looked between the orbs. Though they were only images he could sense the power radiating from them. "That was only four."_

_Nicholas sighed, and Kara placed a hand on his back. The large globe presented a large and crisp picture of a young man with dark black hair. "The fifth is my twin brother, Gabriel Claus. He was the one who planned on taking Christmas for himself, and then in time the entire world. In a word he is the other Santa Claus."_

"_I've seen him before," mumbled Ethan as he recalled his last Christmas adventure. "He was there last year with these black wings and feathers, he tried to destroy Whitechapel."_

"_Yes and no. Alec the Angel of Memories was a spirit that went from city to city trying to lessen the darkness that blossomed in many people during the time of the holidays. The Lucifractor's explosion allowed my brother to somehow taint him. Like me Gabriel is a powerful Spellmaster but unlike me he has the Heralds on his side, which means he now has the ability to change the very course of winter. We need to stop him before he has a chance to stop Christmas."_

"_How can they stop Christmas? It's an idea, a belief, you can't just stop it."_

"_They can. My brother and I were born in Whitechapel, which means our powers are solely linked to the belief of the city. He just has to tip the scales and everything I created will cease to exist, and in its place darkness will take hold, the Heralds will once again rise to power, and who knows what may happen next. With the five spirits released into what can only be described as the epicenter of my abilities we need to act quickly."_

"_Don't worry," said Ethan with determined look. "I know I made a mistake in setting the Winter Heralds free, but I swear to you I'll do everything I can to stop them and save Christmas! You have my word!"_

_Kara looked over at her husband before take a step forward and placing a kiss on Ethan's forehead. When she took a step back the judgement was gone from her eyes. "Thank you."_

"_We better hurry," said Nicholas as he looked pointed at the several floating orbs. More than half had gone dark. "We need to get to Whitechapel as fast as possible. Kara stay here and do whatever you can to get production started again. Ethan follow me, I'll explain how we can stop the Heralds on the way. For now we have a holiday to save."_

* * *

"I remember," called Ethan above the howl of the snow and the cries of the reindeer. "You need me to find the Claustrum, and then place it on the Caller in the Vampire Council room. It should broadcast the seal all over the city trapping the Heralds, and refreshing your powers."

"Right," said Nicholas as he pulled tightly on the reins. "And if everything else fails then use the mistletoe to-"

The sleigh suddenly bucked forward and Ethan grasped onto the railing. He turned over his shoulder and through the falling flakes of snow he caught sight of thick dark smoke soaring towards them.

"What's that?" asked Ethan as he felt the sleigh dive forward to avoid another strikes. "What's going on?"

"It's my brother," whispered Nicholas as he held out a hand and summoned a golden staff. The sleigh bucked again and in one fluid motion he pointed the staff at the darkness. There was a flash of bright red light and the smoke separated only to reform, this time with Gabriel riding atop. Despite having seem his picture before it was uncanny how much he looked just like Nicholas, and at the same time wasn't. His boac coat bellowed in the wind and he gave them a sad smile.

"Your making a mistake. Your time is over brother, just give in."

"I stopped you before, and I can stop you again!" called Nicholas as he fired a bright red light. From the darkness Benny emerged, and with his hand held high easily deflected the attack. "What in the-"

"Benny," whispered Ethan as he clutched his head. The vision came so sudden, it was almost painful. The world went out of focus as as new one replaced it.

* * *

"_So," whispered Benny as he sat with his feet hanging off the side of the porch, and his eyes focused on the bright stars above them. "I heard you got into the college in Greece, the one that specializes in programming and stuff."_

"_Yeah," answered Ethan as he leaned next to his friend looked up at the stars. "I got the acceptance letter yesterday, my parents are really excited."_

"_Are you excited?"_

"_I don't know."_

_Benny turned to look at him a huge smile, and though Ethan would never say it out loud he could sense the sadness behind it. "Don't be like that E."_

"_Like what?"_

"_Like that! I can see it on your face, your sad you got the letter because that means you won't be spending time here with me or Rory, Erica or Sarah."_

"_Is it really that obvious?"_

"_In some ways yeah. But that's what best friends are for, am I right?" He let out a laugh. "Have you told her yet?"_

"_No," whispered Ethan as he kicked at the ground absently. "I'm afraid of telling her, the same way I was afraid of telling you. I feel like I'm putting an expiration date on everything. Everyone has until February with Ethan, and then… poof I'm gone forever."_

"_Your overthinking it too much," said Benny with a smile as he jumped down. "No matter where you are, or what school you go to we'll always be friends. There's nothing in this entire world that could possible tear us apart. But you should tell Sarah, its better she hears it from you instead of someone else."_

_"How do I tell her I'm leaving?"_

_"I wish I could give you an answer E. If you were brave enough to get that motorcycle and tell your parents then telling Sarah shouldn't be a problem. I've said all I need to. I'll talk to you later."_

_Ethan watched as his best friend gave a wave before heading to the house next door. He felt tears sting at the corner of his eyes and he wasn't sure why. Why did it suddenly feel like an ending? Why did it feel as though he was going to leave and never come back?_

* * *

Ethan watched as Benny raised a hand, and summoned a fireball. Through the snow and in the dull glow of the unnatural light he could see the strange dark blue that filled his friends eyes. There was something else he saw as well, a hatred that looked completely foreign on the Spellmaster's face.

Nicholas let go of the reigns and held his staff up high. "Get down Ethan." He blocked the fireball and pointed it his brother. Another flash, another deflection and the sleigh jerked to the right as the reindeer neighed in fear. "What in the-"

"What happens next is of your own doing." Gabriel pulled Benny into the cloud and the two of them vanished into the darkness as it surged forward. "I am truly sorry Nicholas."

Ethan turned to look ahead and felt his heart stop. A huge dome of snow was currently circling around the city of Whitechapel. Behind them a large of darkness began to bear down, in front a wall of snow was preventing their landing.

"Hang on tight Ethan," said Nicholas as he pressed his staff against the reins. It snapped, and the reindeers immediately headed for higher ground. Ethan felt the strange sensation of freefalling as the sleigh suddenly barreled straight down towards the spiraling dome. He felt the man wrap his arm around him before fastening his other to the rail. "This is going to hurt."

The sleigh hit the dome and began to spin as it twirled lost in the powerful current.


End file.
